This invention relates to electrical connectors for use with electronic devices, and more particularly, relates to an improved eight-pin connector for use with electronic devices.
Electronic devices such as wireless telephones, hand-held computers and personal digital assistants use a variety of power/data/audio connector/jack combinations for transferring power, data and other electrical signals to and from the electronic devices. For example, electronic devices equipped for audio input/output include an audio output jack for receipt of an audio connector for presenting audio output to a user. Prior art audio output connectors often include a four-pin stereo plug that can mate with and accept signals from standard four-pin stereo contacts and an additional four-pin plug arranged adjacent to the four-pin stereo plug for additional electrical connectivity. The physical size associated with such prior art connectors becomes relatively large compared to modem electronic devices that are very small and lightweight. Consequently, the audio plug becomes obtrusive and cumbersome, and often contact between the connector and the electronic device is difficult to maintain.
Additionally, modem electronic devices, such as personal digital assistants, include jacks for other types of connectors, such as power connectors and universal serial bus (USB) connectors. Prior art systems include a USB connector for mating to a USB jack and a separate power connector for mating to a power jack. As is often the case, a user of a personal digital assistant may have a number of connectors attached to the personal digital assistant at any given time. That is, the user may have an electrical connector for providing audio signals to a speaker device, the user may have a USB connector connected to the personal digital assistant for transferring data to and from the personal digital assistant, and the user may have a power connector connected to the PDA for providing electrical power. The problem with this arrangement is that the mass of the various cords and connectors attached to the personal digital assistant often overwhelm the mass of the personal digital assistant and thus places strain on the various connectors and jacks which may cause damage to the connectors and jacks and which may make use of the personal digital assistant cumbersome.
It is with respect to these and other considerations that the present invention has been made.
In accordance with the present invention, the above and other problems are solved by an improved electrical connector and an improved USB connector.
According to one aspect of the present invention, an improved electrical connector includes a main connector housing having an upper pin housing and a lower pin housing. The upper pin housing has an outer surface and an inner surface where the outer surface forms a continuous surface with the surface of the main connector housing. The upper housing has a pair of electrical contact pins disposed along the inner surface of the upper housing.
The lower pin housing is disposed in spaced-apart relation to the upper pin housing, and the lower pin housing has an outer surface and an inner surface, where the outer surface forms a continuous surface with the surface of the main connector housing. The inner surface of the lower pin housing faces the inner surface of the upper pin housing. The lower pin housing has a pair of electrical contact pins disposed along the inner surface of the lower pin housing. The electrical connector of the present invention also includes a stereo plug that protrudes from a front surface of the main connector housing between the inner surface of the lower pin housing and the inner surface of the upper pin housing.
The electrical connector is adapted to connect to a jack. The stereo plug of the electrical connector is adapted to connectively insert into a plug port of the jack. The upper pin housing and the lower pin housing are adapted to connectively engage a forward plug port housing of the jack.
The stereo plug includes a plurality of electrical contact pins for engaging a corresponding plurality of electrical contacts disposed along an interior surface of the plug port of the jack. The pair of electrical contact pins of the upper housing engage a corresponding pair of electrical contacts disposed along an upper surface of the forward section of the plugged port housing of the jack. The pair of electrical contact pins of the lower housing likewise engages a corresponding pair of electrical contacts disposed along the lower surface of the forward section of the plug port housing.
The stereo plug has a plurality of contact pins. The contact pins of the stereo plug may include a microphone contact, a right speaker contact, a left speaker contact, and an analog ground contact. The pair of electrical contact pins of the upper housing may include a clock contact pin and a digital ground pin. The pair of electrical contact pins of the lower housing may include a data pin and a power pin.
The jack of the present invention is mounted within the casing of an electronic device such as a hand-held personal computer, a personal digital assistant, a wireless telephone, or a paging device. A face surface of the forward section of the jack is flush with an exterior surface of the casing of the electronic device. An upper housing receiving port is defined in the casing immediately above the upper surface of the forward section of the jack. A lower housing receiving port is defined in the casing immediately below the lower surface of the forward section of the jack. When the electrical connector is connected to the jack, the upper pin housing is inserted into the upper housing receiving port and the lower pin housing is inserted into the lower housing receiving port so that the electrical connector is mated to the casing of the electronic device.
According to another aspect of the present invention, an improved USB connector includes a connector body, a USB connector plug, and an alignment post. The USB connector plug is defined along a first end of the connector body and protrudes perpendicularly from a front face of the connector body. The alignment post is defined adjacent to the USB connector plug in spaced-apart relation to the USB connector plug and protrudes perpendicularly from the front face of the connector body. The USB connector also includes a pair of electrical contacts defined on the face of the connector body. A first electrical power contact of the pair of electrical contacts is disposed adjacent to a first side of the alignment post, and a second electrical contact of the pair of contacts is disposed on the face of the connector body immediately adjacent to a second side of the alignment post.
The USB connector plug is adapted for connectively inserting into a mating plug port of a USB jack. The alignment post is adapted to connectively insert into a corresponding alignment post port of the USB jack. The first and second electrical power contacts are adapted to engage corresponding first and second electrical power input contacts defined adjacent to first and second sides of the alignment post port of the USB jack.
The alignment post includes an alignment post guide member that is disposed along the first side of the alignment post for guiding the alignment post into the alignment post port. The alignment post has a greater length than the USB connector plug so that the alignment post inserts into the alignment post port prior to insertion of the USB connector plug into the USB connector plug port to insure that the USB connector plug is in a proper orientation when it is inserted into the USB connector plug port. A locking latch may be disposed along an upper surface of the alignment post for engaging a locking latch detent disposed in an interior upper surface of the alignment post port for securing the USB connector to the USB connector jack.